Speaking to NME.COM, Widdecombe claimed that the fact that he had evaded jail previously sent a negative message to the public.

“This is long overdue,” she declared, referring to Doherty‘s jailing. “The fact that he got away with it for so long was sending out the wrong signals. When someone is in the public eye and sets the wrong example there should be a crackdown.

“Rehabilitation does not go far enough in Pete‘s case, because we need to send out a signal that what he was doing was illegal. It’s good that an example has been made.”

For more about Doherty‘s incarceration see the new issue of NME, out now.